The Corpse Groom
by JackFrostVampyre594
Summary: Unwilling and nervous about his arranged marriage to a man he does not love, Shizuo Heiwajima runs away, and wanders into the cemetery. There he meets and unintentionally marries Izaya Orihara, a corpse who has been desperately searching for true love. Will Shizuo ever accept the fact that his true love is actually a corpse? A flea? Based on Tim Burton's "Corpse Bride" *On hiatus.
1. Tears to Shed

The overcast across the city of Ikebukuro was perfect to describe the city. Gray, bland, and colorless. As the citizens droned about, living their monotone lives, high up in a bedroom window, a yellow as brilliant as the sun intruded upon its drab, gray surroundings.

The intrusion of color was none other than the bright, bleached blond hair of Shizuo Heiwajima. The twenty-three-year-old sat upon his bed, anxiously dreading the event that was to come.

Practicing wedding vows.

Shizuo trembled slightly. Oh, how he dreaded and loathed what he was to do in five-and-a-half hours.

Meet his groom-to-be, Kadota, propose; more or less to keep things formal, and then spend the next hours rehearsing wedding vows.

Shizuo shuddered. He truly had no romantic feelings toward Kadota, and detested this arranged marriage. Shizuo did not want to go through with this.

Sighing, Shizuo reclined against his pillow and grabbed his sketch pad and pencil. After a moment of contemplation, a small, relaxed smile transformed Shizuo's features, and he began to draw with the masterful patience and precision of a skilled artist.

The subject of Shizuo Heiwajima's drawing was a man with black hair and sad, longing eyes—Shizuo envisioned those eyes to be a beautiful shade of crimson, like blood or a rose. Momentarily pausing, Shizuo gave a sympathetic, longing smile, and then continued.

Once Shizuo was finished, he gazed at his drawing. A man gazing at the moon longingly. The man was dressed in an old, ancient suit, and had tears glazing his eyes, as he sat in a graveyard.

Shizuo realized the tears were his own, and he wiped them away with a shaky, shuddering breath, confused as to why he was crying. He ceased his tears, arose from his bed, and placed the picture on the wall, desiring to envelope the man in an embrace, and remain there for a thousand years...


	2. A Grave Misunderstanding

"Master Heiwajima, do try to pay attention!"

"Right! Yes, I am sorry, Priest Fanel."

Shizuo sighed. Kadota was oddly quiet. Priest Fanel officially lost his patience.

"Enough!" he thundered. "This wedding will not take place, until this man is properly prepared!"

Shizuo, startled, backed against the door. He gazed upon the disapproving faces surrounding him, and then fumbled with the doorknob, before wrenching the door open, and bolting out of the room in a panic.

Kadota watched, emotionless.

᷈

Darkness had descended upon Ikebukuro, but Shizuo did not notice. He kept running, clutching the wedding rings in his hand that would signify Kadota and his' union. Finally stopping in the local cemetery, Shizuo gazed about the graveyard, and then straightened his posture, and lamented to himself.

"I am such a fool," Shizuo sighed, looking around the cemetery in the dead of night. He gazed at the rings in his hand. Suddenly, the cold night air blew, and a girl's voice spoke:

 _The corpse groom with many tears to shed._

 _Left alone in life, betrayed by love._

 _A heart so broken, no beat resounds._

 _His lonely lament echoes into the deep dark night._

 _When in life, his love said, "Love me dead." Oh, the irony for the corpse groom with an aching heart and much tears to shed._

 _Lonely, longing, and waiting at death's gate._

 _Dreaming of a deathly kiss and loving embrace._

 _He waits silently for one who will love a corpse groom with an aching heart and much tears to shed._

The voice bemused Shizuo. He looked around, believing there was somebody with him. Upon finding no one accompanying him in the late hour, he shook it off, assuming he was just imagining things. Deciding to use this time constructively, he looked at the wedding rings, and nodded to himself, before standing tall and proud.

"With my hand, your anguish shall perish forever. You shall never be alone, for I shall be your undying companion." Shizuo's voice was unwavering, filled with pride, certainty, love, and devotion. A renewed confidence and energy surged through Shizuo, and he began to walk through the moonlit graveyard of Ikebukuro, continuing his vows.

"With these words, I vow eternal loyalty to you, and with this ring, I ask you to be my everlasting love!" Shizuo's words were passionate, as he imagined Kadota's hand to be the branch in front of him, sticking out from the ground. What he didn't know is the darkness was merely masking what the "branch" really was.

Suddenly, the screech of seemingly a thousand crows infiltrated the air. Shocked, and then quickly becoming terrified, Shizuo watched them pass over his head. At the same time as the crows were passing overhead, the branch lunged out, grabbing Shizuo's arm, and pulling him toward the earth. It was in that moment, that the horrified Shizuo realized one thing...

It was not a branch sticking up from the earth...It was a pale arm, cloaked in the fabric of a suit! And the hand was clutching to Shizuo in what could only be called a death grip. With a cry of fear, Shizuo pulled back, but found the hand to be too strong, even for him. Alas, Heiwajima Shizuo was not to be deterred, and he lunged back again, realizing that he was on a grave.

Shizuo looked away, praying that this nightmare would soon be over. He closed his golden-brown eyes, and gave a final, mighty lunge, freeing himself from the hand's grasp. Fear encasing his blood in icy trepidation, he turned around, scrambled to his feet, and began to run as far away from the grave as he could, not daring to look back.

As if sensing that there was nobody on the grave, the hand smacked down into the cool, moist earth, the fingers clenching, and a being arose from the grave.

Shizuo blindly ran through the graveyard, not particularly caring where he went, as long as he was away from whatever being that had grabbed his arm. He successfully evaded any obstacles in his way...that is until he came upon a jumble of leafless branches—thankfully, actual braches—that were seemingly outstretched to ensnare anything that came close.

The branches trapped him, and after a moment's struggle, Shizuo found himself freed from the offending brushwood. The only casualty he suffered was his suit's sleeves being ripped. Not allowing himself a moment to breathe, Shizuo continued running. He ran for what seemed like days, until finally, the darkness receded, and Shizuo found himself near a stone bridge. The pale, ethereal light from the full moon bathed everything in its glow, and Shizuo heard the insistent: _Caw! Caw! Caaww!_ from the crows.

They seemed to be shouting a war cry, Shizuo thought, allowing himself a moment to think. The crows swarmed him in his moment of thought, and Shizuo realized, with horror, that he had slowed down to a stop, as he stood on the bridge. He was trapped in a murder of crows!

Desperate, Shizuo tried to swat them away; stopping after the first two tries, for he found himself dangerously close to getting his hand stabbed with the crows' talons. Shielding his face, the blond was forced to turn around, his face covered by his hands, while the crows insistently cawed. Then, suddenly, all was silent.

Shizuo uncovered his face, and opened his eyes, while breathing heavily, adrenaline pumping through his veins. There was nothing but quiet, undisturbed night. There was no murder of crows, there was no frightening grave. There was nothing but the peaceful sleeping Ikebukuro in the late hours of night.

The blond allowed a relieved smile to grace his pale features, and he laughed shakily. "Must've all been my imagination."

He turned around, deciding to begin his walk home, and that was when he made his fatal mistake.

Directly behind him, staring at him was a pair of crimson eyes. Shizuo cried out, and, almost scared stiff, backed away. Finding himself backed against the bridge, Shizuo found himself unable to move, his feet frozen, as fear took over. His only movements were his trembling, and shaky breath. The being in front of him wore an old, dusty, slightly ripped and frayed suit with cobwebs on the sleeves and on the ripped seams on the shoulders. Its skin was as white as a sheet, a sickly shade of pale...yet; about him also held a mysterious handsomeness. His eyes were a bright crimson, but not too bright. The exact shade of a red rose. The man's hair was black, the color of a moonless night.

Shizuo's breath was shaky, as the man smiled...in a loving, tender manner, and walked forward, his arms outstretched, as if to embrace the trembling, shaking blond. Shizuo was powerless, and found himself closing his eyes, as the crows returned, circling around them, and encasing the duo in a swirling vortex of shadow.

Not particularly caring how undignified he seemed, Shizuo allowed a soft whimper of fear to escape his pink lips. His shaking ceased, for he found himself too frightened to do anything, except wait for whatever cruel fate destiny had in store for him.

Shizuo heard a single whisper, "You may kiss the groom...", and then he felt a pair of lips against his own, kissing him tenderly.

Then, unable to handle anymore, he lost awareness of everything, his consciousness slipping away.


	3. Deathly Embrace

Izaya Orihara gently removed his lips from the blond, and was somewhat dismayed to find that his groom had lost consciousness. However, he was undeterred, and, using his undead strength, he scooped up the mortal.

Deciding to allow himself a moment alone with his beloved, Izaya remained on the bridge, holding the blond. In the moonlight, the man's flaxen hair practically glowed. His skin was pale, and the suit he was wearing was slightly ripped—Izaya concluded that the tattered pieces of cloth on the branches must have been his groom getting trapped and struggling away in their chase.

Izaya was slightly bemused as to why the man had run away from him, but didn't allow himself time to think about it. All that mattered to him now was that he had the eternal love of his life with him, now...forever.

The raven-haired man smiled, and the crows came forth again, encircling the duo in a vortex of black, using their death magic to teleport the newlyweds back to the Land of the Dead.

᷈

When Shizuo woke up, he found himself to be disoriented. His head was spinning, and his vision was blurry. His gut was twisting and turning in ways that were not normal, as if a great serpent was writhing in his stomach, hissing and spitting its vile poison on the walls of Shizuo's stomach. He had enough sense, despite his horrid state, to determine that he was in a building of some kind, lying upon a soft bed.

 _'Oh, fantastic,'_ Shizuo thought in relief. _'Maybe I'm in the hospital. Someone must've found me on the bridge. My parents and Kadota will be here. Once I'm discharged, I can get married to Kadota, and everything shall go according to plan.'_

The thought consoled him momentarily, and he closed his hazy eyes. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him, and he stiffened.

The bed was soft and comfortable, not the rigid, uncomfortable beds one found in a sanatorium. Shizuo hesitantly opened his eyes, and his vision slowly cleared. Through his fuzzy vision, he concluded that he was not in a hospital room, due to the fact that the light was soft and golden. He was not seeing the hard white floors, white walls, and white fluorescent lightbulbs of a hospital.

Then again, Shizuo mused, he doubted he would be able to open his eyes even slightly, if assaulted with nothing but white.

Shizuo tried to get up, using his hands and arms to right himself into a sitting position. His arms shook and trembled violently, as if his bones had turned to jelly, and Shizuo found that he couldn't support his own weight. Weak, he fell back on the mattress, but found his head striking wood.

Shizuo bit his lip, muffling a groan, but the pain came so sudden, that the groan escaped his bitten lip, and Shizuo began screaming, "Ugh! Okay, who the-Argh, that hurts!"

Shizuo felt as if his head was gonna split open. Groaning, and mumbling curses to himself, he looked to see what he'd smacked his skull against, and found, with shock, that he was lying in a coffin, with a crimson mattress. The coffin, length- and width-wise, was probably the size of a twin bed. Shizuo looked around, confused. The room he was in was sparsely furnished, with only the coffin, and some candles lit around the room offering the light. Voices were suddenly heard.

"He's awake. I'd better check on him! He sounded hurt!" Shizuo realized it as the voice of that man he'd seen in the graveyard, and, to Shizuo's confusion, he sounded worried.

"Okay. Congratulations. I hope you now have the happiness you always wanted." Another man, a voice Shizuo did not recognize. Shizuo heard footsteps coming down the hall, and against his will, felt relief course through him at the fact he wasn't alone. He quickly pushed aside such feelings though, because he realized that for all he knew, the person could be coming to kill him.

The old, creaky door was opened, and Shizuo groaned, placing a hand to his head, due to his pulsing headache. His vision was slowly becoming blurry again, and Shizuo tried to lie down, but found the slightest movements made the pulsing pain in his head seem to intensify. He focused his attention to the newcomer.

To Shizuo's surprise, it was the same man who he had ran from in the cemetery. Upon seeing him, the man seemed to smile.

"What happened? You okay?"

"Yeah," Shizuo answered. "I'm fine. Just wacked my head pretty hard on the back of the—Wait, why am I in a coffin!"

He grimaced. His head protested to his screaming by sending pulse after pulse of pain through his head. Shizuo closed his eyes, sucking in air through his teeth, groaning and growling his displeasure as he felt tears of pain prick his tightly closed eyes.

 _'For the love of God, I am too weak,'_ Shizuo thought, in displeasure. He groaned, once more. Suddenly, he felt his hand being gently moved, and held in a cold, but loving touch, and felt another hand being placed to his aching head. Shizuo sharply inhaled momentarily, finding the touch to be cold, but relaxed immediately, as the cold made his headache ebb away.

"This all must be a shock for you," the man said, and gently pulled Shizuo into his arms. "But, if you give this place a chance, I just know you'll like it."

"Who are you?" Shizuo asked. "What is this place? Where am I?"

"You're in the underworld, the Land of the Dead." The man said. He held up his ring finger for Shizuo to see. The golden ring glinted in the candlelight. "My name is Izaya Orihara...I'm your husband."

Shizuo abruptly found his headache disappearing, and he bolted upward, away from the corpse.

Shizuo was shocked. "Okay, where could you have gotten that idea?"

He crossed his arms over his chest, silently demanding an answer.

Izaya giggled...Shizuo momentarily thought the sound was sweet, and then pushed aside all thought.

"You really don't remember, Shizu-chan?" Izaya asked, arising to his feet, and walking over to the mortal.

 _'Shizu-chan? My name is Shizuo!'_ Shizuo thought. He shifted nervously on his feet, and silently sucked in an uneasy breath, as Izaya wrapped his arms around Shizuo's waist, and gently laid his head on Shizuo's chest. Izaya hugged him, consolingly, and gazed up at him.

"I—uh—don't really remember anything," Shizuo found himself stammering, out of fear.

Izaya giggled once more, the sound carefree. He took Shizuo's hand—ironically the hand with Shizuo's ring—and laced their fingers together. "Well, I remember everything, Shizu." Izaya sighed, dreamily. "Your voice was like an angel, and you said your vows so perfectly."

 _'I did?'_ Shizuo thought, disbelieving. _'I did!'_ His thoughts turned to horror.

He wrenched himself from Izaya's embrace, and ran away, in fear.


	4. I Can't Love You

Izaya's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and he quickly went to search for his husband. It bemused him why Shizu-chan seemed so frightened. After all, he had said his vows at Izaya's grave—and had done so beautifully, Izaya thought, swooning slightly—and had surely known that he was marrying the Corpse Groom of the Underworld.

Izaya pulled back the old, torn, crimson curtains, and looked around the pub, known as the Drunken Dragon. Alas, he couldn't find the mortal anywhere.

"You looking for him, Izaya?" a skeleton asked, looking up from his glass of what looked like a green poison. Before Izaya could say anything, the skeleton pointed toward the door, and Izaya nodded, leaving in search of Shizuo.

᷈

Shizuo desperately ran through the Land of the Dead. His heart pounded in his ears, and his breathing came out in short pants.

 _'Have to get out,'_ he thought. _'I have to get out.'_

"Shizu-chan!" he heard a voice call for him. "Where have you gone?"

Shizuo quickened his pace, turning the corner into an alleyway.

"Mmm...Food," he heard a grunt. Shizuo stopped, in shock. Zombies, with their skin rotting and peeling off, were stalking toward him. He quickly ran in the opposite direction, hearing another grunt of, "Food..."

 _'How did I get into this?'_ Shizuo thought.

᷈

"Shizuo!" Izaya called out.

The raven walked through the Land of the Dead, searching for his husband. Shizu-chan had seemed awfully jumpy, and Izaya was concerned. He didn't want Shizuo to be this afraid forever. Izaya allowed a smile to come to his face, as he thought of the blond enveloped in his arms.

Finally, Izaya would have the happy ending he'd dreamed of for years.

᷈

"Finally!" Shizuo panted. He no longer heard Izaya's calls in the distance, and believed he was safe from the corpse.

 _'Probably should get even farther away. He could catch up,'_ Shizuo thought. He began to climb up what looked like a rock ledge.

Step by step, he climbed, grabbing rocks jutting out, and placing his feet in crevices in the rock.

Soon, Shizuo found himself at the top. Exhausted he collapsed, lying upon the flat top of the rock. He suddenly heard a familiar laugh.

"You could've used the stairs, you silly protozoan."

Shizuo's eyes snapped open, and he turned...looking at the corpse in horror. Izaya walked forward, and Shizuo scrambled to his feet, but couldn't get far, as Izaya embraced him once more.

"This chase was worth it, Shizu-chan," Izaya sighed, happily, resting his head on Shizuo's shoulder.

"Why?" Shizuo spat, bitterly, sickened that a corpse thought he loved him. He was livid that Izaya thought Shizuo would be okay with this. Izaya looked up, confused at his beloved's tone. Shizuo rejected the embrace once more, wrenching away.

"Shizu-chan...what's wrong?" Izaya asked, confused, and hurt.

"You," Shizuo spat. "You're what's wrong."

Shizuo stormed down the carved, stone steps that he'd overlooked.

 _'You shouldn't have done that,'_ A voice inside Shizuo spoke.

 _'Doesn't matter,'_ Shizuo retorted to the voice. _'I have to get out of here.'_


	5. Running Away

Izaya stood there, shocked. Something in him desperately told him that what had transpired did not happen, yet, Izaya was used to lying to himself, and knew that what he was telling himself wasn't true.

Shizu-chan had pushed him away, and left. Izaya saw the blond retreat. Shizuo's form was becoming smaller and smaller. A voice spoke in Izaya's head, a voice sounding strangely like his own.

 _'Catch him. Catch him before it's too late.'_

Izaya ran after him, knowing he had to catch Shizuo before it was too late.

᷈

Shizuo was getting tired of running. All he wanted was to get out of this world, and go home. Yet, if he went home, he'd be forced into a marriage he did not want.

The blond thought to himself, _'It doesn't matter, actually, whether I want to marry Kadota, or not. It's called an 'arranged marriage' for a reason. At least it's better than being married to a rotting corpse.'_

Shizuo suddenly felt himself knocking into something, and falling. With a grunt, he landed on the hard, cobblestone sidewalk, and was almost immediately hoisted to his feet by a lordly appearing corpse.

"I say, dear fellow, where are you off to in such a rush?" The corpse inquired, ever so confused.

"Please!" Shizuo begged. "You've got to help me, sir! I'm not dead!"

"Why, my boy, we're all dead here," the corpse answered, his eyes carrying a glint in them, despite the fact he was indeed, lifeless. "I suppose dying so early must be a shock for you, being such a strapping, handsome lad." The corpse sighed. "So many are dying young these days...Well, cheerio!"

The corpse continued on his way. It was as if Shizuo did not exist.

"Shizu-chan! Please, answer me!" Izaya's desperate voice was heard. Shizuo's blood frosted over once more, and he kept running, continuing their game of cat-and-mouse.

Although, the cat had no intent of eating the mouse.

᷈

Izaya continued his search for Shizuo. He was rapidly running out of places to search, and looked around, desperately, for his love. His darling Shizu-chan.

"Shizuo!" Izaya called out, once more, greeted with no indication of where the blond was hiding.

᷈

 _'The gate! It must be a way out!'_ Shizuo thought, triumphantly. Wait, that entered right into the middle of town. That repulsive, dead flea could find him.

Oh, well. He'd take the chance.

Shizuo ran back to the center of town, and looked around. Easy enough to spot, the gate was the entrance to this world. An old, rusted structure locked together by a huge, ancient lock and key. Shizuo realized with a cruel, sadistic smile, that it was as if they insisted upon keeping their inhabitants prisoner.

Well, the mighty Heiwajima Shizuo could never be deterred that easily.

He ran to the gate, and felt through the bars. On the other side, there was nothing but darkness and cold. Shizuo immediately withdrew his hand, shivering violently. His arm coming back in contact with the air of the underworld made Shizuo realize how warm it was here. The heat was warm, toasty, and comforting, yet, it reminded Shizuo of darkness and evil.

Steeling his nerves, he grabbed ahold of the gate's bars, oblivious to the gossiping whispers that surrounded him.

"Goodbye, Izaya," Shizuo said, aloud to himself. "Let this be a lesson for you."

He stepped through the bars, and disappeared.


	6. Can an Undead Heart Still Break?

"No! Shizuo, please, don't do this!"

Izaya only had time to watch the very last of Shizuo's disappearance. Quite the crowd had gathered to see what was happening, each of them murmuring and whispering their theories. The raven corpse dashed toward the gate, hoping and praying to whomever divine entity would listen that his worst nightmare did not just happen.

Yet, Izaya's undead heart broke again, and he reached out through the bars, and was answered not with the warm flesh of Shizuo, but with a cold, merciless darkness. A sob tore through his chest, as he backed away.

Shizu-chan was gone...

"No," Izaya wept, and collapsed onto his knees. He sat and drew his knees up to his chin, sobbing into his arms. "Why, Shizu-chan...What did I do to make you leave? I love you..."

There was no noise for a long time, accept Izaya's heartbroken, inconsolable sobbing. Everyone bowed their heads in shame, their undead souls mourning with their corpse groom...

᷈

 _'I'm free!'_ Shizuo thought, as he ran through the shadows of Ikebukuro, in the late hours of midnight, completely oblivious to Izaya's tears that were being shed only for him...Shizuo Heiwajima.

Shizuo cavorted and pranced about, in a rare show of elation, happy as a lark. He had no intent upon going back to the Land of the Dead, had no intent upon returning to that disgusting, lovestruck flea...

Alas, when you do not follow the path fate has set out for you; you tend to painfully pay the price.

Shizuo felt an intense, stabbing pain in his chest. Groaning in pain, gasping in shock, the blond fell onto his knees on the sidewalk, and held his chest, his golden eyes shut in pain. With each heartbeat Shizuo's heart painfully pushed, a pulse of pain coursed through his veins. Shizuo felt hot tears of pain escape his eyes, and managed a silent scream of pain, unable to articulate a proper, loud scream.

Shizuo felt like he was dying...

᷈

Izaya felt a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Why?" Izaya whimpered. "Why did Shizuo leave?"

If a heart can still break, even after it stopped beating, Izaya Orihara was experiencing that ten times worse. He wanted to feel the tender warmth of Shizuo's strong body; he wanted to hear Shizuo's heartbeat pounding against his chest, strong and powerful. He wanted to feel Shizuo's arms securely embracing him, quietly sheltering him from all peril.

Izaya Orihara could never deny such a thing. He was in love, truly and madly in love with Shizuo Heiwajima.

 _'Then why did you leave me, my darling Shizu-chan?'_

Izaya's thoughts went unanswered.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Poor Izaya-kun! I wanna hug him, and wipe away his tears...and then beat Shizu-chan to a bloody pulp for hurting Izaya! Don't worry, readers. Izaya is gonna be reunited with his beloved in either the next chapter, or the one after that. I promise! Sadly, it won't be a complete end to the heartache, but Shizuo's heart will be conflicted, and I'll put in some almost-Shizaya fluff. X0X0X0X0X0X0X0X0X0X0X0X0X0X0X0X0X0X0 I love you all, my readers!**


	7. Shizu-chan's Undying Companion

Pain engulfed Shizuo, and he lay upon the sidewalk, only able to articulate the faintest whisper of the scream he wanted to howl.

 _'Help me...Please, anyone, help me...'_ he internally begged, as the pain ravaged his body.

Silence answered him.

᷈

By now, Izaya's tears had ceased, yet he remained silent, emotionless. For he felt that his love was gone, and that he would be forever alone.

He gazed upon his wedding ring for a moment, and all at once, memories of Shizu-chan's vows, so sincere and loving, came back.

Izaya suddenly felt something in his heart, and quickly dashed through the gates.

Shizu-chan needed him. Izaya could feel it.

᷈

 _'I'm dying,'_ Shizuo thought. _'This is it. I'm dying. Goodbye, Kadota. Goodbye, Mother and Father. I'm sorry I was not a better son to you two. Kadota...I'm sorry that I was a coward, and did not accept my duty as your husband.'_

 _'You stupid protozoan brain, you don't even love Kadota!'_ a voice in Shizuo's head screamed at him, scolding.

 _'Shut up. It's my duty to love him...I have no choice.'_

᷈

Izaya could sense that he was getting close to Shizuo. He could feel it deep in his still, undead heart. With each step he took, he felt the pull in his heart growing a bit more insistent.

"Shizu-chan..." Izaya whispered into the dark of night. "I'm coming, my love. You'll be okay. I'm coming."

Izaya pushed onward, gliding effortlessly through the shadows.

᷈

 _'Shizu-chan...I'm coming, my love. You'll be okay. I'm coming.'_

Shizuo heard the voice in his head, and immediately whimpered, unable to move anything except his head.

"No..." Shizuo mumbled in a whimper through his pain. "Please...Stay away from me...I'm not your love. I'm not 'Shizu-chan'. Stay away..."

He closed his eyes, praying the voice he heard was just an illusion, not the voice of the flea...

᷈

Izaya gazed upon the crumbled form on the sidewalk, in shock. That form couldn't have been Shizuo...No...The thought of Shizu-chan in pain brought tears to Izaya's eyes, and he bolted forward.

It was Shizu-chan...And he looked unconscious.

Izaya ran to Shizuo, and bent down on his knees, immediately taking the blond into his arms. His tears spilt past his long eyelashes, staining his white, pale cheeks. He ran a hand through Shizuo's flaxen locks, and then kissed his forehead.

"Please be alright, my love," Izaya whispered, resting his own forehead against Shizuo's. "I need you, Shizu-chan...I love you...I can't lose you."

His wedding ring glinting in the moonlight, Izaya took Shizuo's hand—ironically the hand with Shizuo's ring—and the murder of crows encircled them.

᷈

When Shizuo opened his eyes, he found that his pain had disappeared...but he was in the last place he wanted to be.

He was in the coffin, but, as if being in a coffin wasn't bad enough...he was enfolded in the flea's arms. Izaya was lovingly running his hand through Shizuo's hair, a soft, gentle, purring noise escaping the corpse's throat.

Shizuo cast his gaze upward, and golden brown eyes met concerned, worried, yet...loving...crimson eyes.


	8. Silently Mending a Broken Heart

"Shizu-chan..." The nickname effortlessly drifted out of Izaya's lips, so natural upon his tongue. He gazed at the mortal, relieved that he was okay. Surely, Shizuo was used to the Land of the Dead by now.

Izaya held Shizuo close, and sighed contentedly.

᷈

Heiwajima Shizuo found himself to be in a state of shock. He felt Izaya pull him closer, and, against his will, found that he rather enjoyed it. Not in the romantic way that he figured the corpse wanted, but...Shizuo couldn't remember the last time he was held, as if someone actually loved and cared for him. Momentarily thinking back to his childhood, he realized that he couldn't exactly remember the last time his parents hugged him. The thought opened up a wound that Shizuo had assumed he'd stitched up, but his heart was torn open, after years.

Suddenly, Shizuo felt the tender hands of a master sewing his heart back together expertly. Shizuo realized, almost in shock, that the master's hands that were, figuratively, stitching together his broken heart, was the very same cold, dead hands that held him so protectively...so lovingly.

For just a moment, Heiwajima Shizuo allowed himself to partially become...Shizu-chan.

᷈

Izaya allowed the faintest spark of hope to ignite in his heart...Shizu-chan wasn't refusing his love. Maybe...just maybe this would work out. Tentatively, he began to run his hands through Shizuo's hair, and felt relief when the blond didn't flinch away in repulsion.

Orihara Izaya allowed himself to smile. Please...oh, please...Let things be turning around for him. He hoped he was actually going to get the happy ending he'd dreamed of for years.

But, for now, he was content to watch the blond protozoan...who had, unintentionally, fallen asleep in his arms.

Izaya smiled, and brushed Shizuo's hair out of his eyes.

Offering the blond a gentle kiss to his forehead, Izaya whispered a single statement, "Goodnight, Shizu-chan."

 **Author's Note: Awww...Shizu-chan was too tired to fight him, and just fell asleep cuddled in Izaya-kun's arms. I was getting pretty tired of Shizuo being a dense, thick-headed protozoan. No, Shizuo's not in love with Izaya, yet, but his feelings are about to take a rollercoaster ride with the events I have planned. Remember, this will be a SHIZAYA fic. My otp will end up together.**


	9. The Shadows' Mistress

A sensation of floating was the easiest way to describe the feeling that had overtook Shizuo. No longer did he feel the body of Izaya against him. Cold air blew around him, chilling the blond man to the bone. Shizuo found himself shaking, and opened his eyes.

"Where—Where am I?" Shizuo asked, his voice heavy with sleep, and his eyes blurry with the remains of pleasant dreams.

"Foolish mortal!" An echoing, thundering voice boomed. Shizuo gasped, and the floating sensation disappeared. Shizuo landed, with a grunt, in soft shadows. As if beckoned by an unseen mistress, the shadows hissed quietly, and coiled themselves around Shizuo's wrists and ankles. His breath was erratic, as Shizuo realized he was being restrained.

"You have harmed someone who has been hurt too much." The voice spoke again, and Shizuo realized it was a female voice, speaking with the wisdom of someone who had seen life, death, empires being built, and empires crumbling with a single blink. The voice was enough to fill the blond with a frightened, respectful awe. He gasped softly, although he couldn't decipher his exact reason for the quiet exhalation, for thoughts swirled incoherently through his mind.

Melting from the shadows, with the tendrils of darkness coiling around her feet, the darkness hissing in a quiet, soft, loving manner, was a woman with pale white skin, light brown hair, and ethereally mesmerizing gray-green eyes. Shizuo gasped softly, and would've almost called the sensation that warmed him "love at first sight", if not for his disgusted afterthoughts on the ridiculous notion, and the fact that, for some reason, his wedding ring seemed to burn warningly. Shizuo growled softly at the pain.

 _'Stupid flea's trying to bind me to him, even while here,'_ Shizuo internally growled in displeasure. _'Where am I, anyway?'_

"You are carelessly throwing away a gift bestowed upon you by the gods," the woman spoke. "You are the cause of the scars reopening on a wounded heart. A wounded heart that could easily heal yours, and yours it."

"I-Izaya?" Shizuo stammered, and began to tug violently against the shadowy restrains that bound him to the darkness. As if in warning, the shadows morphed, and created lethal spikes that dug into Shizuo's wrists in merciless punishment. Shizuo screamed in pain, for it felt as if poison was being injected into his wrists and slowly through his entire body. The same sensation burned in his feet, and slowly travelled upward.

Shizuo screamed and growled as the agony ravished him. Unable to move, yet needing to do anything to relieve himself of the burning pain, he jerked, thrashed, and convulsed. The pain became too much to the point that Shizuo was reduced to a gasping mess, and almost found himself throwing up, but; wanting to keep the last of his dignity, he swallowed the rising bile, right as another bolt of pain shot through him, and Shizuo gave an inhuman howl into the darkness. Tears cascaded from the blond's golden-brown eyes in an unending, salty stream.

"Stop!" Shizuo implored to the shadows' quiet, ominous mistress. "Please! I beg you! Stop this!"

Shizuo cried, grunted, and thrashed, and the shadows' mistress observed the blond for the eternity of a few moments.

 _'He's the one,'_ she thought. _'He shall undo the damage that vile traitor caused Izaya. He has to be!'_

She watched the blond scream for another moment, before she internally sighed.

 _'I hope I am doing the right thing.'_

Her final thoughts, before she freed Heiwajima Shizuo from the shadows' grasp was a statement drenched in what could only be called unending loyalty.

 _'For you, Izaya.'_


	10. Uncertainty

Izaya found himself purely happy and content, as he laid next to Shizuo. The blond looked so peaceful as he slept, and the young, raven corpse found himself smiling softly, placing a kiss upon his husband's forehead.

"I love you, Shizu-chan," Izaya whispered. He could feel it...someday, Shizuo would reciprocate. Izaya had already promised himself that he'd wait however long it took.

Shizuo moaned softly, and rolled over. A nightmare seemed to plague the blond. Izaya watched as Shizuo trembled, soft groans escaping every now and then. Definitely a nightmare.

"Izaya..." Shizuo softly spoke in his sleep. He groaned softly.

"Shhh..." Izaya murmured, brushing aside Shizuo's blond bangs. "It's okay, Shizu. It's just a nightmare."

Shizuo seemed to calm down slightly, however his breathing was still mildly erratic and shaky. Izaya held him close.

Shizuo whimpered quietly, but his trembling lessened. Izaya smiled, and then closed his eyes, nestling into Shizuo's warmth.

᷈

"Where is that boy?" Shizuo's father demanded, pacing from one end of the sitting room to the next. The clouds above mercilessly rained down their icy tears, drenching Ikebukuro. Inside, the two families spoke of the disappearance of Kyohei's groom-to-be.

Well, for the most part. Shizuo's mother was fretting, Shizuo's father was pacing, muttering about his "irresponsible son". Kasuka, Shizuo's little brother, was looking out the window, silently whispering about his nii-san. The Kadota family remained quiet.

Kasuka cast his gaze upward, gazing at the ominous full moon that graced Ikebukuro on that fine night. The youngest Heiwajima had a momentary, fond recollection of his childhood. Him as a toddler, resting in his big brother's lap, giggling softly as they watched the giant moon bathe the nighttime world in its shine...

 _"Nii-san, look!" The four-year-old Kasuka giggled, as he watched the moon. He reached his tiny, toddler hands up, as if to touch it._

 _"Yeah," Shizuo had replied softly, voice weary with sleep. He hugged the boy close, smiling as his baby brother nestled into his arms. "Pretty, isn't it?"_

 _"Uh-huh," Kasuka sleepily murmured, resting against his brother. Shizuo rubbed his back, smiling softly. The two brothers sat upon the plush pillow on the large windowsill, and looked at the mysterious, breathtaking moon for another silent moment, before Kasuka tiredly spoke, surprising Shizuo._

 _"Nii-san...do you believe someone is waiting for you?"_

 _"What do you mean?" Shizuo inquired, pleasurably curious, a laugh in his words, as he met the lethargic eyes of his four-year-old brother._

 _Kasuka gave a sleepy, whimper-like sound as he rubbed his tired eyes, and inclined his head to meet his nii-san's golden-brown eyes that glittered in amusement. Shizuo rubbed his nose against Kasuka's smaller nose, and the younger boy clarified, tiredly._

 _"Do you think there is somebody waiting for you, waiting to love you for all eternity, the way Mummy loves Daddy?"_

 _Shizuo processed his baby brother's inquiry, smiling softly as the moon shined down on him. The image would've been ethereal in appearance, for the moonlight made the pale-skinned boys appear to be angels._

 _"I hope so, Kasuka," Shizuo replied, longingly. "For I cannot wait to take them into my arms, and seal our bond with an everlasting vow of adoration."_

 _"Mmm..." Kasuka gave a small content murmur, satisfied with the answer. The toddler was already drifting off into pleasant dreams._

 _Another moment of quiet, before Shizuo felt Kasuka's tiny hand wrap around his left pointer finger. Shizuo looked down, noticing their joined hands, and Kasuka tiredly spoke, a well-wishing meant for his brother, for eternity._

 _"I hope you find that person, nii-san."_

 _"I hope so, too, Kasuka," Shizuo murmured, and brought his left hand up, to tenderly kiss the smaller hand wrapped around his pointer finger. The eldest of the Heiwajima brothers leaned back upon a pillow resting against the windowsill, and brought his baby brother up, to rest comfortably upon his chest._

 _The soft wind outside was the moon's lullaby, as Shizuo Heiwajima closed his eyes to rest._

᷈

Shizuo's eyes snapped open from his rest, his breathing heavy. Two strange dreams in one night. The mysterious woman...that mistress of shadows, and then a dream about a childhood memory with his cherished little brother, a memory Shizuo had almost forgotten, until it had come rushing back in a flood of detail. When he was young, Shizuo remembered, he'd always had a fantasy of marrying the person he truly loved: his soulmate, for lack of a better description. At the time of this growing fascination, he had still been at an age in which his parents deemed him to still be, technically, a child. Ten years old. It was when Shizuo had turned fifteen that his father had sat him down in a chair, and explained that, as the heir to a wealthy household, and therefore a boy of high status, it was unlikely for Shizuo to marry for love.

Not impossible, his father had clarified; upon seeing his son's downtrodden face, but unlikely.

His father had explained that, being of noble blood, Shizuo would most likely marry the daughter of another lord and lady—or son, his father had added, in a loving, compassionate manner. If Shizuo were to fall in love with his fiancée—wonderful! If not, either way, the marriage would still go on to ensure that the Heiwajima family name stayed strong.

The fifteen-year-old Shizuo had nodded in grim understanding, his dreams scattered like dust in the wind. He'd asked his father if he may be excused, and, once he was safely locked away in his room, Shizuo had curled up on his bed, face in a pillow, and cried. A year passed, and Shizuo had carefully stitched up his heart, making him desensitized to the idea of true love.

And now, Shizuo thought, finding himself toasty warm, nestled in the black-haired corpse's arms, he didn't really know _what_ to think. Deep inside his heart, Shizuo could feel something reawakening deep within him, stirring and murmuring as it awoke from its deep, seemingly endless slumber. The feeling soon blossomed, an ominous; yet alluring flower, and Shizuo found himself soaked completely, inside and out, with a true, raw emotion he never thought he'd feel this deeply.

Perhaps...love?

Love for this—this repulsive corpse?!

 _'No!'_ Shizuo thought furiously, eyebrows furrowing in the intensity of the internally spoken words. _'I-I can't love him. I—'_

The blond gazed upon his sleeping abductor for a moment, and, while this would be a most opportune time to escape, and maybe be able to return to his rightful groom, Shizuo couldn't bring himself to do it. Izaya looked so peaceful while sleeping.

"I—I can't do it," Shizuo whispered to himself, and, as if the very thought exhausted him; he curled up next to Izaya again.

"I don't know what I want, or what I'm gonna do," Shizuo whispered his decision...and never had Heiwajima Shizuo felt so conflicted in his life.


	11. The Memories of the Orihara Heir

With the coming of morning, there came the awakening of the dead. Izaya would've loved to go to the living world, and say that to a human passerby, only to laugh at the horrified expression. Alas, Orihara Izaya no longer had a love for all of humanity, for his death made him realize exactly how coldhearted humans are.

In his human life, Izaya Orihara was a beautiful man, envied by all. Like most nobles that lived in Japan in the 1800's, the Orihara family was quite wealthy, and, because Izaya was the heir to his family's "empire" so to say, he was greatly desired and wanted by all.

Alas, the man turned down the proposals of marriage he received, in the same snobby manner he'd address the servants of his home with. Many a suitor would walk away, trying to hold back their tears, but Izaya wouldn't even spare them a glance.

Izaya wasn't technically doing it to be mean. He knew the suitors' intent for marriage: status, wealth, and power. They did not care for the raven they'd be bound to forever, and instead focused upon the fortune and wealth that came with the surname: Orihara. It made Izaya's stomach churn in unpleasantness, whenever another suitor would come, kneel at his feet, and present the ring.

 _'Please,'_ Izaya had thought one day, in disgust, as yet another suitor tainted the Orihara Manor with their presence, and immediately knelt at the crimson-eyed male's feet. _'Take your ring, and vacate the premise. You're not welcome here, and I'd never in a million years, stand loyally at your side.'_

"No, I do not accept. Leave my home, or suffer the consequences," Izaya had cut off the suitor in mid-proposal. The suitor, a boy with black hair, dressed in a black suit, with a crimson cape, looked shocked. What was his name again? Izaya wondered for a moment. Oh, yes! Mikado Ryugamine, a young man who had come to Japan, and, in a mere two years, shot through the ranks of wealth, to be considered among the nobles of Shinjuku, and the neighboring city of Ikebukuro.

Rather unremarkable, in Izaya's eyes. Alas, being a noble, rather by birth or not, Mikado had just as much of a right to propose and court Izaya, as did the others who wasted their time entering the sepia-eyed, twenty-year-old's home.

"But—But I didn't even—" Mikado had stammered, only to be interrupted by Izaya holding the pointer finger of his right hand up, in a signal for silence. Mikado quieted.

"I have no intent of marrying you, Lord Ryugamine." The raven was sitting upon a plush, crimson couch, his arms resting upon the back, and his right leg crossed over his left: a posture of poise and composure. Upon seeing the boy's fallen expression, Izaya chuckled dryly, and continued to speak, "You have no intent upon marrying me for love, therefore..."

There was a moment of silence, in which Mikado found himself gulping, uneasily.

Izaya's voice remained calm, but it had a cold and lethal undertone. "I cannot marry you."

"Your—Your parents are making you marry for love!" Mikado had been shocked and outraged. "That's absurd! Do you even understand what marriage is for people of our stature?"

The rest of the boy's rant became faint, as Izaya watched him, smirking, and began to think:

 _'Foolish Mikado.'_ Izaya bowed his head slightly, and closed his eyes, smiling. _'You're so stupid as to think that marriage should be for anything other than love. They must've poisoned your way of thinking in the last twenty-four months.'_ Izaya had no pity for the seemingly brainwashed boy. It was evident that the claws of "propriety" had sunk too deep into Mikado, and Izaya knew better than to try to change the boy's mindset, lest the eldest of the Orihara children find his morals poisoned by society's vile expectations.

"I understand." Izaya's icy voice broke through the young lord's rant. "However, I cannot and will not marry you. I find society's view on marriage to be corrupt and twisted. Either marry me for love, or leave my home, _right now_."

Stammering over his words, Mikado hustled out of the manor. Izaya sighed softly, contently, and leaned back upon his settee. The raven gave a soft, distinct purr of contentment that, to the horror of the servants, could only mean the heir to the manor had kicked out another suitor.

The months went by in this fashion, with Izaya becoming more dissatisfied with each and every suitor. The raven was becoming disconsolate and melancholy, for his hope was diminishing, and he believed that he would never find someone who loved him for himself, not his fortune, power, or wealth that came with his surname and status. His father had calmly tried to suggest, one morning, that Izaya just give one of the suitors a chance. The results had not been pretty...

"You dare to dictate my life," the Orihara heir hissed, rather calm as he held one of his trusty knives to his father's throat.

"I-Izaya-kun," his father had stammered. "I-I merely meant—"

"No," the heir's tone was smooth and lethal. "I know what you meant...and I will not bow down to society, like that."

Unbeknownst to the young raven, marrying for love would lead to his downfall...

᷈

A great yawn tore through Shizuo as he stretched, awakening to the new day. He smiled softly, unable to determine the warm feeling that enveloped him in his languid state. A soft, content murmur slipped past his lips, and his caramel-colored eyes remained barely slit open. Shizuo viewed everything in a half-asleep daze.

Izaya snapped out of his memories, and turned onto his right side. The corpse felt a familiar, warm sensation envelope him, and, for once, didn't refuse the feeling.

The feeling of loving someone with everything you are and everything you have.

Izaya purred softly, nuzzling Shizuo's cheek. In a half-asleep daze, Shizuo smiled, completely unaware of his actions.

Izaya noticed the expression, and Shizuo's murmur gave him more hope.

"I...love you...Izaya."

Shizu-chan...You have no idea what you just got yourself into.


	12. Binding Contract

Izaya smiled softly, and replied in a whisper. "I love you too, Shizu."

He nuzzled against Shizuo, earning another half-awake, seemingly content and happy smile. Izaya softly kissed the blond on the corner of his mouth. Shizuo gave a quiet murmur in response, sleepy. Izaya laughed softly. The protozoan was simply too adorable for his own good.

 _'Wh-What am I doing? He's—That fleabag just—No!'_

Shizuo's eyes snapped open, and he surged upward, breathing heavily. Izaya backed away slightly, looking bemused.

"Shizu...please...I couldn't bear you pushing me away, again." His voice was the delicate, broken whisper of his own dying hope. Izaya desperately needed Shizuo to realize that he, the corpse, was his husband. He needed this humanoid perfection to understand that he, Orihara Izaya, was the person tied to Shizuo by the red string of fate.

If only Shizuo would follow the string, and see who awaited him. If only he would realize how cold and lonely he was. If only Shizuo would look inside his heart, and find the missing piece of it, then maybe the blond would find the piece which Izaya held securely inside his own heart, sheltering the soul of his precious blond.

If only Shizuo would realize and comprehend how deeply Izaya adored and cherished him.

The look in Shizuo's eyes became the look of a distressed child. No longer was he the tough, vile, hardhearted devil Izaya had seen, but instead, a frightened, tearful little boy seemed to replace it, his demeanor seeming to shrivel up, regretful and saddened.

"I—I can't handle this...I can't do this..." Shizuo's voice was quiet and meek. Internally, the blond was castigating himself for such pathetic behavior. He was Shizuo Tsugaru Heiwajima, heir to the noble Heiwajima Manor. He was not supposed to be powerless and weak. By status, this corpse should probably be cowering at him, knowing of the blond's power.

Alas, the corpse was dense enough to seemingly believe that he was destined to forever stay loyally by Shizuo's side.

Wake up, Shizu-chan! It's true!

"Shizuo..." Izaya's voice was quiet, as he scooted over to him, the blond with the face of an angel in distress. Gently, he wrapped his arms around Shizuo's neck, and ran his hand gently through feather-soft, flaxen hair.

Shizuo trembled and shook, silent tears leaking onto his cheeks. He was motionless as the raven nuzzled and whispered sweet nothings to him, gently kissing each tear as it fell, staining his pale lips with the tears of his unrequited lover. Shizuo couldn't bring himself to move. He found that all he desired was some form of comfort, and right now, this was all he could get...this was all he wanted.

"I-Izaya...I'm—" Shizuo found himself gently cut off.

"Shh...It's alright, Shizu-chan. You don't have to tell me anything." Izaya stroked his head, smiling softly as Shizuo was nestled against him. "It's alright, Shizu."

The duo remained in the embrace for a while longer, before, with a soft, sniffling sigh, Shizuo wiped the remnants of tears from his face, and got up.

Once out of the coffin, Shizuo stretched his tired muscles, and then brushed the dust and cobwebs off his shoulder. Izaya arose and walked to him, placing a soft kiss and nuzzle upon his cheek. He wrapped his arms around Shizuo's waist from behind. Shizuo sighed softly, a warm, sleepy feeling enveloping him. He swallowed the coming yawn, and walked out of Izaya's arms. The blond was most surprised to hear a soft whimper in response, and then a broken, slightly needy statement.

"Shizu-chan...Don't leave me, again."

Shizuo sighed. His heart was torn, duty and want was in fierce combat. He couldn't betray his family, yet his heart ached for Izaya, wanting the raven to embrace him, and chain him to this world in whatever way he had to.

"I won't." Izaya's heart burst with joy at the words, and then Shizuo continued. "I'll stay here for three more days, starting today. That's it."

Izaya exhaled. It wasn't what he hoped for, but he'd have the blond today, tomorrow, and the next day. The wheels in his cunning mind spinning with a plot, Izaya smiled.

"What if, let's just say, you decide you like it better here than in the living world. Then what?"

Shizuo gulped. He didn't really have a choice in this matter, and the raven had figured that part out, exploiting a loophole of sorts, and using it to his advantage. Mustering up his courage, Shizuo walked forward, and knelt at Izaya's feet, head bowed. Respectful. Honorable. Noble.

"If I decide I like it better than the living world, I'll stay here forever at your side."

Izaya smiled, and couldn't resist running a hand through Shizuo's soft, flaxen hair. The wedding rings glistened in the light. A soft, barely audible purr escaped Izaya's lips.

"Deal, Shizu-chan."


	13. Guardian

Celty Sturluson watched the interactions between the blond and his destined mate through a veil of shadow. It was like watching something through a heavy mist. She saw Shizuo kneel down, and could already imagine the heir to the Heiwajima bloodline submitting entirely to Izaya, whom she knew would do anything to bind Shizuo to him, his aching heart unsure of how much it could take.

With an internal sigh, personified by a shrug of her shoulders, Celty began to think of her own love...An eccentric, wacky, yet loving and loyal man. Last she had known of him, from her secret rendezvous to the mortal realm, he was a blossoming scientist, trying to find answers to anything and everything, always with a smile on his bespectacled face and a jovial laugh slipping past his lips. It had made Celty so happy to see him so full of life, the eagerness of a child at Christmastime constantly infecting his veins. Alas, Celty had always known, in the back of her mind, that their love would never last, for during their first winter together...Shinra Kishitani grew gravely ill.

She still remembered her last sight of him. His smile was gone. His pale, delicate, sweaty, sickly form was constantly ravished with chills and violent coughs that shook his frail, weakened body. There was little Celty could do to help him, for not even the doctor had been able to do much to help Shinra. Whatever illness had taken hold of Celty's beloved, it was holding on tightly to him, and seemingly had zero intentions of letting go, leaving Shinra practically a crippled version of his former glory.

Never had Celty felt so weak. Every cough from Shinra stabbed her heart, as though Shinra was murdering her with his own pain. If her head had been attached, tears would have been a constant fixture upon Celty's face.

"Celty..." Shinra had weakly spoke, after a particularly horrible coughing fit. Celty quickly scribbled a note on a piece of parchment, her other hand not releasing Shinra's hand. Shinra smiled softly as she showed him the paper.

 _'I'm right here_ _, Shinra. What is it, love?'_

Despite his pain, Shinra gave a lovesick smile. A familiar tickle was felt in his throat, and he soon began to violently cough, trembling. What made it even more alarming was now...Shinra was coughing up blood.

The coughing fit ended relatively quickly, and Shinra exhaled, exhaustedly lying upon his bed. His bloodstained lips managed a soft smile as Celty brushed aside his sweaty, dark brown locks, and gently dabbed away the blood with a rag.

"So...this is the end," Shinra spoke, his words barely a whisper. Celty dropped the bloody rag, her hand trembling. No...This couldn't be...No...No...

Shinra turned his head, to gaze upon his lover, his beautiful Celty, his dullahan...his angel. With a soft smile, he whispered, "Goodbye, Celty. I know we shall meet in another life, my dearest."

And, with that, Shinra breathed his last.

Celty found there to be no point in visiting the mortal world after that. She'd kept herself hidden in her realm: a void of darkness and shadow. Celty considered herself to be somewhat of a guardian to the poor souls in Izaya's world, who had love slip from their grasp all too soon, for she had suffered such a fate.

And now she could only sit back and watch, as fate played out for Izaya Orihara, waiting...watching...hoping...praying for a happy ending to Izaya's heart-wrenching tale.


	14. Confliction

Pure blissful happiness.

Such was the emotion that had replaced Izaya's blood. Perhaps things were changing. Perhaps Shizu-chan would stay. Perhaps Shizuo's past life on the surface could be forgotten and he could begin anew with Izaya loyally at his side.

Shizuo's mind was burning with curiosity and unasked inquiries, as he and his...as he and Izaya walked through the streets of the underworld. Skeleton children ran amuck, laughing and playing. A ghost dog was yapping in an alleyway, which caused a skeleton cat to charge out, yowling. Shizuo yelped in surprise, as the undead creature scuttled under his feet. His heart began to pound a mile a minute. Izaya burst out laughing.

"You don't get out much; do you, Shizu-chan?"

Shizuo shrugged. "Not really...Back in my world, I'd usually spend my days hiding away in my bedroom, with my only company being my thoughts and my drawings."

"Really?" Izaya's tone was brimming with interest and curiosity. He intertwined his hand with Shizuo's, relishing the comforting warmth. "I wouldn't mind seeing them, someday."

Shizuo chuckled softly, in an almost dry manner. "Too bad you don't trust me going up to the living world."

At Izaya's half-glare, half look of hurt, Shizuo continued, "They're all at my home. I was sketching, actually, before I was forced into the ordeal that ultimately lead me to the graveyard."

He felt Izaya lean against him, content. "And to you," he added, wrapping an arm around Izaya in an embrace. Izaya couldn't help the way his stomach came alive with butterflies. This was perfect. Absolutely perfect.

᷈

"What is that ungrateful boy up to?" Kyohei's mother was irate and livid, pacing one end of the drawing room to the next, very unladylike for someone of her stature, but this was her own home. She could act however she pleased, thank you very much.

Kyohei's father sat in one of the armchairs, by the fire. Kasuka and Kadota stood against a wall. Kasuka's expression was deadpan.

Kasuka was the one who broke the silence of the corner. "Nii-san hasn't abandoned you."

Kyohei Kadota scoffed. "He ran off in the middle of our wedding rehearsal. He humiliated me!"

"My brother meant you no disrespect!" Kasuka was quick to defend his big brother. "He was nervous and scared, he acted without thinking!"

Kadota inhaled once, and then exhaled, calming down. He spoke after a moment of quiet.

"But why would he do this? He could've trusted me. He could've told me what was going on inside his head, what he was afraid of...I could've tried to help."

Kyohei couldn't stop the tears that were threatening to spill over. He felt as though he had failed his future husband, somehow allowing Shizuo to believe that he couldn't tell Kadota anything.

"I don't know," Kasuka said. "But I know Shizuo hasn't abandoned you. My nii-san will return."

Gazing out the window, at the ominous full moon, Kasuka added in a whisper, "He has to."

᷈

 _'What's going on with me? What have I gotten myself into?'_ Shizuo thought to himself, as he and Izaya sat on the single, abandoned bench, watching the sky mix its bloody shades of crimson. It was beautiful, yet terrifying. Black, ominous clouds swirled occasionally, and, if you strained your ears hard enough, you could hear the tortured screams of evil souls being punished in some ungodly place that this world harbored. It had become an almost comforting habit for Izaya to stroke and nuzzle him whenever Shizuo stiffened, having heard a tormented scream in the far distance.

"It's okay, Shizu," Izaya whispered, his head nestled in the crook of Shizuo's shoulder. "I promise it's nothing that'll hurt you."

Shizuo forced his muscles to relax, and practically went limp against Izaya, giving himself up to the raven's attentions.

 _'What is so wrong with me?'_ Shizuo demanded internally, confused at his own actions. It was as though Izaya's attention was a nutrient that Shizuo's body severely lacked, and now that it had it, his body was desperately lapping up any amount it could get, be it a nuzzle from Izaya, a heavenly stroke through Shizuo's hair, or a cuddle, Shizuo found himself desperately craving it, needing more with each moment.

 _'What is so wrong with me?'_

Izaya smiled contently. By now, Shizuo was curled up, his head resting on Izaya's lap, eyes half-lidded as the raven ran a hand through his hair, stroking his scalp. Izaya would not have been surprised if soon Shizuo began to purr like a content kitten. It appeared as though the blond was struggling to keep his eyes open, the sensations going through him leaving him weak, completely at Izaya's mercy.

It was adorable.

"Aww...you like that, don't you, Shizu?" Izaya couldn't help but tease his flaxen-haired mate a little.

Shizuo whimpered in embarrassment, face flushing a deep crimson, curling up tightly, as if to shield himself from his own humiliation. Izaya laughed, and bent down, placing a tender kiss upon the crown of Shizuo's head.

After a moment, Shizuo nodded in confirmation, his blush deepening.

 _'What is so wrong with me?'_

"What're you thinking about, Shizu-chan?"

Shizuo's eyes snapped open. With relief, he found his face returning to its normal pale shade. Almost hesitantly, he peeked upward at Izaya, finding the sepia-eyed corpse looking down at him with an amused, loving smile.

Shizuo got up, and, after a brief moment of hesitation, decided his best action was to scoot over to allow Izaya to cuddle into his side.

"It's nothing really," Shizuo fluently came up with an excuse. "Just wandering off with my thoughts."

Izaya snickered, deciding to tease Shizuo a bit. "Thinking about me?"

 _'I'm trying not to, flea.'_

"Of course." Shizuo wrapped Izaya into his arms. "How could I not?"

Izaya chuckled, a faint pink blush accenting his snow-white complexion.

In the shadows, their wedding rings glistened. The symbols of the corrupted romance of a lovestruck flea, and a confused protozoan.


	15. A Cunning Plan

Shizuo Heiwajima had never felt so peaceful in his life. The feel of Izaya cuddled against him was so...right. So natural.

 _'No! I can't let this happen! I don't belong here! He's not my husband, and never will be!'_

Shizuo exhaled, heavily, and forced himself to stand. Izaya opened his eyes, jolted from his half-asleep state he had been lulled into.

A distant scream echoed, and Shizuo spoke, walking toward the noise, "What's going on out there?"

Izaya walked up, gently wrapping his arms around Shizuo. The blond smiled softly. Izaya spoke, "It's the Shadowlands. A place of eternal punishment for the souls of the damned and impure."

Shizuo's blood turned to ice. He heard Izaya mutter, "I hope he's gone there, after what he did to me." The raven's grip on the blond tightened possessively.

"Who?" Shizuo asked, his voice quiet.

Izaya was shook from his dark reverie. "Nothing, love. I was just voicing my thoughts."

 _'Excuses, excuses,'_ Shizuo thought, but didn't say anything. It was obviously something dark that Izaya would talk about in his own time. Until then, Shizuo would be patiently waiting for his flea to open up.

Wait, what? No! In three days, he'd be out of here, and Izaya would never see him again! Yeah...There was no way Shizuo would _ever_ stay here when he had a life to return to on the surface.

The surface...Perhaps...Just perhaps Shizuo could easily wiggle out of this "promise" somehow. It wouldn't be completely dishonest. Izaya would be coming, of course.

"You know...we shouldn't keep this a secret forever." Shizuo turned to make eye contact with Izaya. The crimson-eyed, ebony-haired corpse looked up at his husband.

"What?" Izaya's head tilted to the side, like a curious puppy.

 _'You're so adorable...'_ Shizuo's internal voice sounded awestruck. He gulped thickly, and spoke, "Well, I was just thinking that, well, since we're married, after all, my parents should definitely meet you, and my brother, Kasuka, too. We could go see them right now if you wished!"

"Fantastic! Where are they buried?"

Shizuo grimaced. "Um...That's the part you probably won't trust me with...They're—They're not from around here."

"Ah. They're still living."

"Unfortunately," Shizuo's voice was regretful and crestfallen. After a moment, he felt Izaya's cold hand grab his own. Shizuo looked down at their joined hands.

"I trust you, Shizu-chan...Just promise you won't leave me."

Shizuo's stomach flipped. Shizuo tried not to tremble and let his breath shake. As calmly as he could, Shizuo smiled charmingly, and then kissed Izaya's hand, smirking to himself as the raven blushed, completely smitten, believing everything.

Shizuo smiled. "I'd never dream of leaving you again...my adoration."


End file.
